Movable autonomous robots are used in a growing number of applications. For example, autonomous robots now are used in hospitals both to minimize provider burden, and improve the patient experience. Among other things, such robots can deliver food or medicine to patients, or help patients to the restroom. Some currently available robots, such as the QCBOT robot, distributed by Vecna Technologies, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., serves as an automated materials transport and delivery device, while providing mobile patient self-service, such as check-in, bedside registration, and wayfinding.
Autonomous robots can use machine vision and computer learning technologies to navigate within their environments. Problems can arise, however, when the robots cannot discern or recognize an environmental condition (e.g., a dog or a large white wall) within their local environments. For example, some autonomous robots may stop moving when they cannot discern some environmental condition.